A mamak restaurant that has been operating for 18 years in Pasir Gudang was discovered to have used more than 30 types of magic charms to attract customers.
The practice is considered a huge offence in Islam and was uncovered after the authorities raided the eatery.
All the mystical charms contained Jawi sentences that do not have a clear meaning to them. These charms were hung all over the eatery, some were displayed in picture frames while the others were inside bottles and small containers.
The owner, who is a Muslim, never requested for a Halal certification from the authorities and only two out of the 23 workers are Muslims.
The Johor branch director of Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs, Khairul Anwar Bachok told Harian Metro that the raid was done based on the complaints made by the restaurant patrons. He added,
“Initially the raid was only to check on the restaurant’s Halal certification, but to our surprise, we discover these charms. We will let Jabatan Agama Islam Negeri Johor deal with the charms which are believed to be brought in from India.”
The eatery was instructed to take down all the charms because the practice might damage the faith of individuals.
The Star reports that most Mamaks in Johor are drastically losing business because Muslim customers are losing trust in them for the alleged use of charms, on top of the smoking ban.
Have you ever visited eateries around your area and saw unknown scriptures on the wall or weird bottles around the area?
If you have, then you might have just discovered one of the reasons you love to eat there.
Also read: M’sian Exposes Mamak Staff Making Dough With Open Wound on Finger, Netizens Disgusted